Cod with Chickpeas and Artichokes

This is one of those restaurant recipes that Food & Wine re-does to make affordable. And I'm glad they did because it is really great! The mix of carrots and shiitake with chickpeas is really amazing and would be a good meal - or side - on its own.

There were a couple of things I don't like about this recipe: the heavy use of oil and butter and frying the fish in oil. I'm terrified of frying fish and chicken and things in a pan... I have never mastered it and there's always a bunch of oil popping up in my face when I'm trying to get the stuff in the pan. But I figured it out and it came out edible so I was happy.

Cod with Artichokes and Chickpeas Serves 4 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 small white onion, sliced 1/2 inch thick One 9-ounce box frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and pressed dry 1/4 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps quartered 2 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained 1 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth Salt and freshly ground pepper 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley 2 tablespoons snipped chives Four 6-ounce skinless cod fillets Lemon wedges, for serving

In a large, deep skillet, melt the butter in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the onion, artichoke hearts, shiitake caps, carrots and garlic and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 7 minutes. Add the chickpeas and stock, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until the vegetables are tender and the liquid is nearly evaporated, 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and chives and keep warm.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil until almost smoking. Season the cod fillets with salt and pepper, add to the skillet and cook over high heat until well browned on the bottom, about 6 minutes. Carefully flip the fillets and cook until they’re white throughout, about 3 minutes longer.

Spoon the vegetables into shallow bowls and top with the seared cod fillets. Serve with lemon wedges.